Speaker A
Hello, everybody. Do you feel like you are failing in English? Well, today I think is a good time for us to talk about failure.
A language learner reflects on why they failed to progress in Chinese despite motivation and discusses lessons on failure and persistence.
Key Takeaways
- Failure in language learning often involves both external challenges and personal habits.
- Consistent effort and honest self-assessment are crucial for progress in difficult languages like Chinese.
- Replacing time spent on distractions with focused practice can significantly improve language learning outcomes.
- Language learning follows its own timeline and requires patience and persistence.
- Understanding and accepting failure helps learners stay motivated and find better strategies.
What the video covers
- The speaker reflects on their struggle and perceived failure in learning Chinese after reaching 100 hours of comprehensible input.
- They explain their motivation for learning Chinese, including interest in culture and the challenge compared to Spanish.
- Life changes such as moving to Chile and increased responsibilities with their English teaching channel impacted their study consistency.
- The speaker admits personal factors like social media addiction and prioritizing hobbies contributed more to failure than external circumstances.
- They emphasize the difficulty of learning Chinese due to its unique timeline and complexity compared to other languages.
- The importance of honest self-reflection and admitting personal responsibility in language learning setbacks is highlighted.
- They suggest replacing unproductive habits like Instagram scrolling with language practice to improve progress.
- Despite setbacks, the speaker remains motivated to continue learning Chinese for personal growth and challenge.
- The video encourages viewers to understand failure as part of the learning process and to find ways to overcome it.
- The speaker also shares their passion for Chinese culture and future goals to visit Chinese-speaking countries.
Chapters
- 00:00Introduction and Talking About Failure
- 01:07Discussing Reasons for Failure in Language Learning
- 02:11Choosing Chinese as a New Language Challenge
- 04:22Interest in Chinese Culture and History
- 04:41Life Changes: Moving to Chile
- 06:25Growing Responsibilities with English With Sponge
- 07:22Balancing Teaching and Language Learning
- 08:41Admitting Personal Factors Behind Failure
- 09:36Social Media Addiction and Time Management
- 10:32Prioritizing Hobbies Over Language Study
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
Speaker A
Unfortunately, I think I have failed Chinese. So, on the 31st of December, 2025, I hit 100 hours of Chinese comprehensible input.
Speaker A
I had finally made it to the first milestone. Now, the first 100 hours were extremely difficult, but in that moment, I was so, so motivated.
Speaker A
But, almost 9 months into 2026, I'm at just 140 hours. Unfortunately, this year, my Chinese practice has been extremely inconsistent.
Speaker A
I have really struggled to get any momentum. I have really struggled to start putting hours in the bank to start getting progress.
Speaker A
So, today I thought that we could sort of discuss the reasons why, um, talk about this ideal of idea of failure in language learning, and try to understand why we fail.
Speaker A
[music] So, I think it's important for us to start with Sam, well, why did you learn Chinese? Why did you decide to start learning Chinese?
Speaker A
And the truth is, after about 4 years of learning Spanish, I had reached a really, really good level.
Speaker A
I could do just about everything I wanted in the language. I made friends, I had relationships entirely in the language.
Speaker A
And truthfully, I didn't feel like there was much more for me with Spanish. So, I thought to myself, well, I want to learn another language, but what language should I learn?
Speaker A
I considered French, but it's too close to Spanish. I considered something like Danish or maybe Icelandic, but there just aren't enough resources.
Speaker A
But for a very long time, there has been one language that has been speaking to me.
Speaker A
One language that has been really attractive. And that is Mandarin Chinese. Now, when I decided to choose my next language, I decided that I wanted a really big challenge. The truth is, learning Spanish as an English speaker isn't all that difficult. Uh, we have
Speaker A
lots of very similar grammar. We have loads of the same words. So, as an English speaker, learning Spanish is a pretty straightforward task, especially doing it through comprehensible input.
Speaker A
Furthermore, I also really, really have an interest in Chinese culture and Chinese history. Between the ages 16 and 18 at secondary school, I did an exam on China. I did a course on the history of China.
Speaker A
So, for a very long time, I have always been quite knowledgeable about China. The culture has always really interested me. And I wanted a big challenge for my next language.
Speaker A
So, everything came together, and I made the decision, Sam, it's time to start learning Chinese.
Speaker A
The first 100 hours were difficult, but I was excited. It was fun. But after 100 hours, that's when things started to go wrong, let's say.
Speaker A
So, Sam, why did you fail Chinese? Well, unfortunately, life just—Ah, super classical. That's why. Have you heard that? Um, unfortunately, life just sort of happened.
Speaker A
Um, at the end of the year, just as I hit that 100 hours and I was feeling so amazing, I moved to Chile.
Speaker A
Now, I had moved to Argentina before, and I remember the transition wasn't quite so difficult.
Speaker A
Moving to Chile, moving continents once again, the third time that I moved in, you know, just under a year, was difficult.
Speaker A
It was really difficult, to be honest with you. Um, it took a lot of energy, a lot of the administration, the bureaucracy, the forms, all of that stuff. A lot of it was really slow. It was really frustrating,
Speaker A
and it meant that I had to carry a lot of weight around me everywhere I went.
Speaker A
I was constantly thinking in the long list of things that I had to do.
Speaker A
So, I moved to Chile. That was the first thing that sort of made me fail, uh, learning Chinese.
Speaker A
Moving to Chile was definitely a lot more difficult, a lot more challenging, and a lot more time-consuming than I expected.
Speaker A
However, some other things started to happen. Next, English With Sponge grew really quickly. Now, James and I have spoken about this in a podcast before, but we really didn't expect English With Sponge to grow as quickly as it has.
Speaker A
Um, of course, that is an amazing thing, and we're both extremely happy that it's going so well, and we're so happy that you guys are here along with us for the journey.
Speaker A
But, the time commitment, the responsibilities, they all grow as the channel and as the business grows.
Speaker A
And I started to feel a lot more pressure. A lot more pressure about the things I put out, about the things I did.
Speaker A
Every decision I made started to have a lot more meaning. It started to be more impactful.
Speaker A
And then, I guess the last thing I can mention is that English With Sponge is my job. It's not my full-time job.
Speaker A
Uh, I am still a full-time English teacher. I still teach online for about 30 to 40 classes a week, which, of course, takes up a lot of time, but one-to-one teaching takes up a huge amount of mental energy.
Speaker A
It's not a really difficult job by any means, but it's very social. You have to be present, you have to really think, and be attentive. And I care about my students, and I really care about their progress. So, I have to
Speaker A
put a lot of effort and a lot of energy into the class. Well, with these three things, Chinese sort of fell away into the background.
Speaker A
And, as I mentioned before, in about 9 months, I've only managed to do 40 hours of comprehensible input.
Speaker A
But, I think I also have to be honest with myself. Because, the real reason that I failed Chinese isn't because my life changed. And it isn't because life got difficult.
Speaker A
The real reason that I failed Chinese is down to me. So, why was I telling myself that I failed Chinese? Well, you heard before, I didn't have enough time. I didn't have enough energy. Um, I was doing too many
Speaker A
things. I was stressed out. I was moving. Excuses, excuses, excuses. Because, when we look at my behavior, when we look at my actions, I think it's more down to me than it is down to my life.
Speaker A
First and foremost, I have, unfortunately, like many people, a bit of a social media addiction.
Speaker A
The truth is, every single day, I usually spend between 1 and 2 hours scrolling through Instagram.
Speaker A
Now, I don't enjoy this fact, and I'm definitely not proud to admit it, but I spend a very long time scrolling through Instagram, not really doing anything of note, not doing anything worthwhile.
Speaker A
If I could use just a quarter of that time in order to try and, you know, to practice my Chinese instead, that would be 30 minutes a day.
Speaker A
And that means I would be making really great progress. Secondly, well, look where we are. We are out in the mountains.
Speaker A
Um, I say I don't have time. I say I don't have energy. I say it's too much effort to study Chinese.
Speaker A
But the truth is every single weekend I come out here to the mountains. I come out to the mountains and I spend a lot of time, a huge amount of energy, and a lot of effort being out here doing my hiking.
Speaker A
And hiking isn't the only new hobby that I have picked up since I have moved here to Chile.
Speaker A
The second hobby that I have picked up is I have started climbing or bouldering. Now, I climb three, sometimes four, times a week.
Speaker A
Once again, if I want to do something, I do it. So, just saying I don't have the time, I don't have the energy isn't really a good answer. It's not a good enough reason.
Speaker A
Because if I want to do something, I find the time and I find the energy.
Speaker A
When I think about why I failed Chinese, the truth is Chinese has been really difficult.
Speaker A
Chinese has been one of the hardest things that I have ever done in my life.
Speaker A
Um, every single thing in my life has been absolutely flying. I have been making such amazing progress in so many different areas.
Speaker A
And with everything I do, effort and reward come together. I put effort in, I get better, I get a reward. The reward usually is I feel good about myself.
Speaker A
But it's clear. There's a clear connection between effort and reward. Unfortunately, learning a foreign language works on its own timeline.
Speaker A
Unfortunately, learning a foreign language that is Chinese, that is so different to English, it really works on its own timeline. I mean, you need to put in 10, 20, 30, 40, sometimes even 50 hours before
Speaker A
ability. That is an absolutely massive amount of time to put into something. In the modern world, it's very clear.
Speaker A
We do something, we get a reward. We do something, we get a reward. The reason I failed is because I wasn't feeling any reward. I wasn't feeling that motivation, that push. I just didn't want to.
Speaker A
And I think that's a really important thing to admit to ourselves. If we're failing for other reasons, fair enough, right? Life does get in the way sometimes.
Speaker A
But if we're failing due to ourselves, we're going to keep failing unless we can admit that. Unless we can understand why.
Speaker A
Unless we can work out a better path, a better plan for the future. So, that's why I failed Chinese, I guess.
Speaker A
Uh it's first time I've properly admitted it to myself. But, you know, like I said, today's video is about honesty.
Speaker A
So, as always, when we fail something, we need to try and learn from it.
Speaker A
Otherwise, our failure was pointless. Otherwise, we gain nothing from the situation. So, what can we use?
Speaker A
Here, what does this teach us? What can this tell us about failure and about language learning?
Speaker A
Well, I think first and foremost, having a why in language learning is really, really important.
Speaker A
[snorts] I wanted to learn Chinese. My why was a challenge. But unfortunately, the challenge was bigger than I expected. It was far more difficult than I could have ever imagined it.
Speaker A
Um with Spanish, I had a very obvious why. I was dating somebody at the time who spoke Spanish, and I knew that some point in my life I wanted to move abroad. So, that gave me a why.
Speaker A
I don't have any plans to move to China. I don't think I'm going to end up dating anybody who speaks Chinese.
Speaker A
So, those two both out the window. But, I would absolutely love to visit China one day.
Speaker A
Uh I've had a little a little goal, a little ambition for a while to visit China and to spend a little bit of time there, maybe one or two months.
Speaker A
Obviously, that's a very big goal. It's a very long way away and it will cost a lot of money, which I don't have at the moment.
Speaker A
Um but it means that I think I have my why. I think I'm going to set myself a goal.
Speaker A
We're almost at the end of 2026. So, I want to say by mid 2028, I want to visit China. I want to visit China.
Speaker A
I want to go to a Chinese-speaking country and practice my Chinese and try and see how much I can say, how much I can use.
Speaker A
Probably, after a year and a half, 2 years, my Chinese is not going to be amazing.
Speaker A
But, now I've set myself that goal to visit China, that has given me a why.
Speaker A
Secondly, I think what we can learn here is it's really important not to compare ourselves to others.
Speaker A
Um obviously, Chinese is really big language. So, I had really high expectations for myself because I was always thinking, ah, I need to get hours because, you know, it's going to take me so many years to get there.
Speaker A
Um something that was happening was I'm part of the subreddit for comprehensible input in Chinese.
Speaker A
And seeing other users' reports, seeing how many hours other users did every single month, really demotivated me.
Speaker A
Um it was obviously not their fault, and I'm really happy that they were sharing their experiences.
Speaker A
But, it's difficult to see people say, I had a 50-hour month, I had a 60-hour month, I had a 100-hour month when you're struggling to put five or 10 on the table.
Speaker A
It can be quite difficult, and it can definitely be very demoralizing. So, stop comparing yourself to others. I think that is a really important lesson that we can take here.
Speaker A
[snorts] What else? Because there's still more that I think we can take from my failure.
Speaker A
I think like I said before, my expectations of myself were just too high. I think I expected too much, especially at the start of a language. When you're first learning a language, it's really difficult, it's really tiring on your
Speaker A
brain. And I was expecting myself to put away, you know, hour days, 90 minutes.
Speaker A
Um So, I think lowering the expectations, lowering my daily goal, at least at this early stage, maybe 20 or 30 minutes, is great.
Speaker A
I'm sure many of you have heard before, perhaps I have even said it before, but language learning is not about motivation. It's about discipline, and it's about routine. Part of my issue was I didn't have Chinese in my routine.
Speaker A
Maybe I can kill two birds with one stone and try to switch some of my Instagram scrolling, especially the the scrolling I do in the morning, with some comprehensible input, some Chinese to start my day. That would be a great way
Speaker A
to get it in my routine. [snorts] Um So, yeah. I think sometimes we just have to be honest, and sometimes we have to accept the a project like this is going to take a really long time. Um for me to get to a
Speaker A
point where I'm happy in Chinese, I'm realistically looking at like 6, 7, 8 years. Uh it's not going to be a short journey whatsoever. Um To give you the most typical advice that you'll ever hear, um failing isn't the
Speaker A
end. It's about if you get up again after. But I guess that's the question I have to ask myself.
Speaker A
Is this the end? Am I going to quit Chinese? Let's find out. So, there we have it.
Speaker A
That is why I failed Chinese, and that is what I think you can learn from my mistakes.
Speaker A
So, the big question of today, Sam, have you given up with Chinese? Is your Chinese journey over?
Speaker A
Well, before now, I hadn't really thought about it. I decided to leave it until this moment to make my decision.
Speaker A
I look up at the mountains of Santiago behind me. I have so many goals, so many ambitions, so many places I want to reach.
Speaker A
Um and I think Chinese is a bit like a mountain. I know, a bit on the nose, and I know it's a metaphor that I use a lot. But, I think it really is.
Speaker A
We have all of these hills here in Santiago. I don't know if you can see, up there we have the Cerro de Ramón, and over that way we have the Central Andes.
Speaker A
I have some really big goals in terms of mountains. I have some really big goals in terms of English with Sponge.
Speaker A
And I think Chinese is just another one of those really big goals. I think no matter what, I'm going to keep studying Chinese. I'm going to keep trying.
Speaker A
I just think I'm going to take the pressure off myself a little bit. I'm not going to beat myself up so much when I do sort of go go wrong.
Speaker A
Because I'm not doing this for anybody else. I'm not doing this so I can show other people.
Speaker A
I'm not even doing this really to to be able to speak Chinese. I'm doing this for myself. I'm doing this to prove something to myself. To prove that I can do something this difficult.
Speaker A
So, there you have it, guys. Thank you for watching today's episode, today's video. Um it's been a bit of a difficult one to film.
Speaker A
Admitting that you failed is not an easy thing to do, especially not on a channel in front of, you know, potentially 75,000 people. Not the easiest thing to do, especially when your entire life is built around this, language learning.
Speaker A
But, it goes to show, we're all human, we all fail. It's whether we get back up again afterwards that really counts.
Speaker A
So, thank you guys so much for watching. As always, if you do enjoy these videos, please check out the English Sponge website. I think we have a total of 800 videos now.
Speaker A
Um really impressive. I'm really, really proud of what we have created. And, you know, if you feel like you have been failing English recently, go to the website. Start succeeding right now.
Speaker A
Well, as always, my name's Sam, and I will catch you in the next video.
Speaker A
Bye.
Topics:Chinese language learninglanguage failurecomprehensible inputlanguage learning motivationself-reflectionlanguage challengeslearning Chineselanguage study habitssocial media addictionlanguage learning tips
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